Additive fermentation in legume protein extraction: Impact on the macromolecular profiles and functional properties

PhD position in

Additive fermentation in legume protein extraction: Impact on the macromolecular profiles and functional properties

Objectives:

Some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains produce exopolysaccharides in response to their environment. These exopolysaccharides (EPS) can be homo (Ho) or hetero (He) types, depending on the bacterial metabolic pathway. In food, EPS are recognised to have health benefits for the host and have interesting properties for stabilising food structures (gels, emulsions, foams). The production of EPS has already been exploited in fermented dairy products (yoghurts and cheeses) to improve their texture. There is a growing interest for in situ production of EPS in legume protein systems to produce clean label plant-based products. Today, pulse protein ingredients are available as either concentrates or isolates. Innovative production technologies are expected to improve the properties of such ingredients.

The general objective of the project is to implement fermentation using HoEPS-producing LAB in a legume protein extraction process and to characterise the mixed ingredients containing both the legume protein and the EPS in terms of techno-functional properties (solubility, gelling, foaming...). In addition, the structural and textural effects of the new isolated protein fractions on a complex food will be evaluated.

Expected results:

·        Optimisation of fermentation parameters of 3 EPS-producing LAB strains adapted to legume flour/concentrate substrates to control the composition in EPS and protein during extraction

·        Understanding the effect of macromolecular composition on the solubility, gelling, emulsifying and foaming properties of the isolated protein fractions

·        Developing a proof of concept by using the fermented ingredient in a bakery application

Planned secondments (host institution, supervisor, duration, topic)

·        KU Leuven (B), 3 months, Characterisation of foaming properties (interfacial rheology and thin film drainage dynamics)

·        Philibert Savours SAS, Lyon (F), 3 months, Pilot scale extrapolation and validation on a bakery application

Hosting lab and working environment: PAM Lab Food and Wine Sciences and Technology located in Dijon, France (https://umr-pam.fr)

Hiring institution: Université Marie & Louis Pasteur (Place of work: Dijon, France)

Enrolment in a doctoral programme of the Doctoral School “Environments – Health” co-accredited by L’Institut Agro Dijon

Type of recruitment: Full-time exclusive employment contract including full social security coverage

Foreseen start date: 1st October 2025

Duration: 36 months

Hours per week: 35 hours

Estimated monthly gross salary: 3240 € (including Living and Mobility Allowances)

Application procedure: through the ESM project website

Application deadline: 15th June 2025

Context

The Doctoral Network “Edible Soft Matter” (acronym: ESM), funded by the European Union in the frame of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) funding programme is an international, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral network gathering leading experts in basic and applied soft matter and food sciences.

The objective of this 48-month project, starting from 1st March 2025 is to train and develop the employability of a new generation of young researchers, regulators, consultants and project leaders by providing them with a unique expertise in the design, production and quality assessment of innovative plant-based food products.

The consortium includes eleven Beneficiaries from seven countries (including three from the non- academic sector) sector who will each recruit at least one Doctoral Candidate and twelve Associated Partners (including four from the non-academic sector) with worldwide recognised and complementary expertise.

18 Doctoral Candidates will be recruited and trained in the frame of the ESM project. Through the implementation of an Individual Research Project (IRP) and the network-wide training activities, characterized by a strong involvement of the non-academic partners of the project, the Doctoral Candidates will develop the hard and soft skills needed to face the current challenges related to food and environmental transitions.

All Doctoral Candidates will:

·        be recruited by one partner of the project,

·        implement an Individual Research Project (PhD topic) including secondments of the researcher to other partners of the project,

·        be enrolled in a doctoral programme and benefit from training at the local level,

·        participate to all the network-wide training events planned in the frame of the ESM project,

·        be exposed to both academic and non-academic working environments.

Selection criteria (cf. Guide for applicants MSCA DN 2023)

Eligibility rule: All researchers recruited must be Doctoral Candidate i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment and undertake transnational mobility (see the mobility rule below). Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.

Mobility rule: researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their date of recruitment. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention[1] are not taken into account.

In addition to the respect of the eligibility and mobility rule, the selection criteria will be scientific excellence, motivation and suitability for the job. Special attention will be paid to gender and equal opportunity issues.

The ESM PhD positions are open to all candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background

Monthly allowances (cf. MSCA Work Programme 2023-2024)

Each month, the Doctoral Candidates hired in the frame of ESM will receive the following allowances. The following amount are gross amount including all charges. The gross and net salary will therefore vary from one position to another depending on the partner hiring the Doctoral Candidate.

Living allowance (to be corrected by a country correction coefficient): 3400€

Mobility allowance: 600€

Family allowance (if applicable[2]): 660€

Candidates profile

·        MSc or equivalent in Food Sciences with a solid training in Food Physical chemistry , Food chemistry and Food Microbiology.

·        Scientific interest, dedication to research and career goal to work in food research, technical center or food industry

·        Appreciation for interdisciplinarity and proactive drive to collaborate across fields

·        Proficiency in English, good communication skill and social competence

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on the functional properties of plant proteins and their fermentation processes.
• Design and execute experiments to analyze the effects of fermentation on protein functionality.
• Collect and interpret data, documenting findings in reports and presentations.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to enhance research outcomes.
• Stay updated with current literature and advancements in plant protein research.
• Assist in the preparation of publications and grant proposals.

Application

Applications must be written in English and include a Curriculum Vitae (CV), a cover letter indicating the motivation for the project, copies of transcripts of degrees obtained as well as the contact details of two references.

Applications should be submitted via the procedure and before the deadline specified for each individual PhD project as a single PDF file.

Recruitment process

For each PhD position offered in the frame of ESM, a dedicated recruitment committee will pre-assess the applications and organise a face to face meeting when possible or an online interview with the selected applicants. The Equal opportunities officer will review the short list of candidates selected for interview to ensure that the principle of openness, transparency and merit-based only recruitment have been observed. In case of two candidates with equal qualifications, gender and equity aspects will influence the final selection. Unsuccessful applicants will be informed of the recruitment process outcome and of the reason(s) why they have not been selected. If a recruitment committee has more than one worthy candidate, after selection it will make the concerned applications available to colleagues. After validation of the recruitment decision at project scale, the selected candidates will be hired on a full-time basis with full social security coverage according to MSCA rules and national employment regulations.

Research areas & hiring partners (main supervisor and sites)

The ESM project is organised in seven work-packages (WP) including four research-based WP and three transversal WP dedicated respectively to Doctoral candidates training (WP5), Communication, dissemination & exploitation of the project results (WP6) and to Project management and coordination (WP7). The research-based WP unravel basic scientific questions to address the essential food-related research objectives: Plant-based Ingredients (WP1), Assemblies and Interactions (WP2), Multiscale Structuring (WP3) and Towards Innovative Manufactured Foods (WP4). The scientific objectives of the project will be achieved through the implementation of 18 Individual Research Projects (IRP).

[1] 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol

[2] Only if the recruited doctoral candidate has or acquires family obligations during the action duration, i.e. persons linked to him/her by (i) marriage, or (ii) a relationship with equivalent status to a marriage recognised by the legislation of the country or region where this relationship was formalised; or (iii) dependent children who are actually being maintained by the researcher.

The Food and Wine Science & Technology (PAM) Lab focuses on understanding the physical, chemical, and biological phenomena that determine the quality of food and wine. Its goal is to bring new knowledge to further develop innovative food products and processes that enhance quality and sustainability.

Established on January 1, 2012, the lab is jointly managed by Institut Agro Dijon, Université Bourgogne Europe, and INRAE. Under the leadership of Professor Thomas Karbowiak, PAM laboratory operates across five key locations: Institut Agro Dijon, Institut Universitaire de la Vigne et du Vin, Dijon University Hospital, the Faculty of Medicine, and the INRAE platform in Poligny.

Research Themes

The research conducted at the PAM Lab is structured around four main areas:

Physico-chemical properties of novel food sources and ingredients

Investigating biomolecules and microorganisms to enhance their technological properties.

Developing new food products and valorizing co-products.

Microbiological processes in food and wine fermentation

Studying microbiomes and metabolomes to better control fermentation processes.

Stability and preservation of food, wine, and bioactive molecules

Understanding the physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms behind food degradation.

Improving conservation and shelf life.

Contaminant control and traceability

Ensuring food safety through advanced monitoring and risk management

Candidates profile · MSc or equivalent in Food Sciences with a solid training in Food Physical chemistry , Food chemistry and Food Microbiology. · Scientific interest, dedication to research and career goal to work in food research, technical center or food industry · Appreciation for interdisciplinarity and proactive drive to collaborate across fields · Proficiency in English, good communication skill and social competence Responsibilities Conduct research on the functional properties of plant proteins and their fermentation processes. Design and execute experiments to analyze the effects of fermentation on protein functionality. Collect and interpret data, documenting findings in reports and presentations. Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to enhance research outcomes. Stay updated with current literature and advancements in plant protein research. Assist in the preparation of publications and grant proposals. Mobility rule: researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their date of recruitment. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention[1] are not taken into account. In addition to the respect of the eligibility and mobility rule, the selection criteria will be scientific excellence, motivation and suitability for the job. Special attention will be paid to gender and equal opportunity issues. The ESM PhD positions are open to all candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background